CNN — First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, the White House announced on Monday.
According to a statement released by the first lady’s spokesperson, Elizabeth Alexander, Jill Biden is currently experiencing only mild symptoms and will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
President Joe Biden, on the other hand, has tested negative, according to the White House.
This is not the first time that both the president and the first lady have been affected by the virus. Last summer, Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19 while vacationing in South Carolina in August. President Joe Biden also tested positive in July. Both of them experienced rebound cases shortly after being treated with Paxlovid.
Despite the first lady’s positive test, there have been no changes to White House protocols, according to an administration official. This decision comes even as some experts warn about rising hospitalizations and the need for high-risk individuals to consider masking to avoid Covid transmission.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a July briefing that anyone who meets with the president is still tested for Covid-19 before their meeting. This measure was implemented after members of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s delegation tested positive ahead of a bilateral meeting.
“So, I can tell you that anybody who meets with the president does indeed get tested. I do. We all do,” Jean-Pierre said at the time.
This is a developing story and will be updated.